Tag Archives: Department of Culture and Tourism

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and in partnership with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), Louvre Abu Dhabi hosts ‘Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia’, the second international exhibition in the museum’s new cultural season. The exhibition will explore the rich history of the Arabian Peninsula through archaeological and cultural artefacts, including a selection of rare pieces from the United Arab Emirates. It is one of the most renowned Saudi exhibitions on a global scale, introducing Arabia’s cultural and historical heritage to over five million visitors worldwide. The exhibition has presented 14 acclaimed editions throughout Europe, the USA and Asia, sharing the story of this unique region with audiences around the world. “The United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have always been connected by a common heritage and history,” says H E Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi. “This year’s edition of the exhibition will be a reflection of the rich, shared cultural heritage and deep-rooted history between the two nations,” he said. ‘Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia’ explores five chapters in the history of the Arabian Peninsula, spanning early prehistoric settlements; maritime exploration; caravan trading routes that linked the region with Asia, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean; routes of holy pilgrimage emerging in the 7th century CE; and the social and economic developments between the 14th and 16th centuries that set the stage for the modern day region.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that hotel occupancy rates in Abu Dhabi during Eid Al Adha 2018 averaged 81 per cent across the four days from August 21st to August 24th. This represented an impressive six percentage point increase compared to the average occupancy figure of 75 per cent during Eid Al Adha in 2017, further underlining the Emirate’s strong appeal as a destination of distinction for family leisure and entertainment. The highest occupancy rate (87 per cent) was recorded on the second day of Eid. This exceptional holiday period saw a surge in visitors from both the UAE and further afield, with Emiratis, Saudis, Indians, British and Americans making up 55 per cent of total visitors. Commenting on the numbers, HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Once again, Abu Dhabi demonstrates its position as a leading tourism destination for visitors from the region and beyond. We are making strong progress in achieving our forecast guest arrivals growth for the year. Eid Al Adha provided further impetus as the capital welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors, with many of our leading hotels achieving near full occupancy with tourists choosing Abu Dhabi as the place to spend their holiday. Our diverse potfolio of attractions, the recently opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in particular, Abu Dhabi Summer Season and our ever-growing year-round programme of events, and our established credentials as a tourist and leisure destination provides us with persuasive reasons for travelers to choose the emirate as a ‘must-visit’ year-round location”.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched a new manual to streamline the process of organising and implementing consumer fairs and exhibitions in the UAE capital. The new manual, which is available on DCT Abu Dhabi’s corporate website and Events Licensing System, covers such events as consumer exhibitions and events open to the public where products are sold and outlines best practices for ensuring each event offers an enhanced overall experience for visitors. The manual includes an explanation of the standards and procedures required to either maintain or improve facilities and services each event offers, as well as working in coordination with the DCT Abu Dhabi Events Licensing System, which provides a fast effective solution for registering and licensing all events held in Abu Dhabi. It incorporates a database for event type and information, category, speakers and activities, as well as containing indicators of tourism performance, growth orientations and of an event’s success and fulfillment of its set objectives. “This new manual lays out DCT Abu Dhabi’s recommended procedures for organising and presenting consumer fairs and exhibitions. This reflects our commitment to streamlining the process of hosting events here in Abu Dhabi, and we hope the manual will act as a catalyst for entrepreneurs and small-to-medium sized businesses with an interest in putting on events in the UAE capital,” said Nasser Al Rayami, Licence & Regulatory Compliance Department Director, DCT Abu Dhabi.

The latest figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) for the emirate’s hospitality sector show the number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi during June rose by 6 per cent compared to the same month a year ago, with Saudi Arabian and American guests underpinning the uplift. Completing a record-breaking first half of the year, June’s results reveal the Department’s plans to exceed 2017’s record-breaking numbers of guest arrivals, when close to five million people stayed in the emirate, are on track. In total 339,592 visitors were guests of Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments during June, an increase of more than 19,000 over the previous year. For the first six months of 2018, the figures show Abu Dhabi upping the total number of hotel guests to the emirate by 5 per cent on the year, with 2,413,230 guests in total arriving. HE Sultan Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector – DCT Abu Dhabi, added, “We are delighted to see hotel guest numbers and occupancy rates in positive territory for all three of Abu Dhabi’s distinct regions. As pleasing as it is to see visitors from both Saudi Arabia and the US arriving in such numbers, we will continue to strongly focus on all of our key markets for the second half of the year, promoting our latest tourism and cultural assets alongside the diverse range of offerings we already showcase.”

The number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi increased by 4.9 per cent during the first five months of 2018 compared to the same period last year. According to statistics from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), 162 hotels, resorts and hotel apartments offering 31,236 rooms across the emirate welcomed 2,073,586 guests during January to May. The occupancy rate has averaged 75 per cent during the same period, with a 1.4 per cent increase, while the average length of stay was 2.7 nights, an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2017, with China topping the number of visitors, recording 192,500 visitors, an increase of 19.9 per cent. India came in second with 166,700 guests and a 22.2 per cent increase, followed by the UK with 119,900 amounting to a 12.7 per cent increase, the United States with 82,300 guests and a 25.7 per cent increase, and Germany with 71,300 guests at a 20 per cent increase. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “These results demonstrate steady growth and prove Abu Dhabi’s ability to realise its strategic goals of positioning the emirate as a leading global destination through forward-looking marketing and promotional campaigns that seek to sustain growth.” While the Abu Dhabi Summer Season will run until August 18, the second half of 2018 will witness prominent events such as the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Art in November, and the Abu Dhabi Food Festival in December.

Abu Dhabi has been ranked top in a list of cities in Africa and the Middle East in the McKinsey Global Institute’s study ‘Smart Cities: Digital Solutions for a More Livable Future.’ With a rating of 18.4, Abu Dhabi ranked first in the region ahead of Dubai, which was placed second with a rating of 17.3. Covering 50 international cities, the study looked at how cities all over the world use technology to increase the quality of life across a wide range of criteria, including healthcare, security, mobility, economic development and housing. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) said, “In today’s digital age, metropolitan cities in the world over are delivering creative ways in which data is used to reinvent the way their city is perceived, explored, interacted with and how services are delivered. Abu Dhabi ranking number one in the study is testimony to our ongoing efforts to establish the emirate as both a destination of distinction and a highly modern location in which international communities want to work, live and do business.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), in partnership with Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and key golf stakeholders, recently concluded the first Abu Dhabi Golf Tourism Week event, held at key hotels and attractions across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The five-day event welcomed current and prospective golf tour operators supported by significant media coverage from 15 countries across Europe and Asia to the UAE capital to showcase Abu Dhabi as a destination of distinction and outline its unique offerings, in particular the Championship Golf. Abu Dhabi is very proud to have four unique yet complementary Championship golf courses to offer; Abu Dhabi Golf Club hosts the European Tour every January, Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club is home to the Faldo Series, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is designed by the famous Gary Player and is the host venue to the Ladies European Tour, whilst Yas Links has been ranked No. 46 in the world by Golf Digest USA. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director, Promotion & Overseas Offices Department – DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “We are delighted to have organised Abu Dhabi Golf Tourism Week in partnership with Abu Dhabi Sports Council and other stakeholders. Through these events, we aim to strengthen and promote the capital as a premier golfing destination and educate tour operators across the globe about Abu Dhabi’s luxurious golf courses.”

The participation of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018 concluded after four days showcasing distinct business growth, increased tourist arrivals and significant new partnership deals. Leading a large delegation to ATM, DCT Abu Dhabi was joined by 77 stakeholders representing more than 90 products in order to build further momentum behind increased guest arrival numbers. Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector is enjoying steady growth as the emirate continues to position itself as an attractive destination for visitors and investors alike. In 2017, Abu Dhabi attracted a record number of guests, around 5 million (4,875,499), which was a growth of 9.8% on the previous year. Abu Dhabi is now targeting an annual increase of 11%. This year, DCT Abu Dhabi achieved record first quarter hotel traffic amounting to a 10.9% rise over the corresponding period of 2017. This growth was driven by a surge of visitors from the UK, Germany, India, China, United States and the GCC region. On the back of this impressive performance, the Department is moving closer to achieving its target of welcoming 8.5 million guests to Abu Dhabi by 2021. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi is an inspiring destination and we invite visitors to truly experience its authentic cultural heritage and world-class facilities. The consecutive increases for guest arrivals is clear testament to the Emirate’s growing international appeal. At ATM, we have successfully positioned the capital as a global destination of distinction built on unique experiences and a rich cultural heritage.”

The number of guests staying in Abu Dhabi’s 163 hotels and hotel apartments in March reached to 464,960, representing an increase of 12.3% compared to the same month last year, according to a report by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi . This means that the total number of hotel guests in the first three months of the year was 1,289,537, a year-on-year increase of 10.9% with key international markets registering impressive percentage gains. During the month, the numbers of visitors from leading international source market China increased by 15.4% to number 40,800, Indian guests increased by 32% to number 35,200 and the UK increased by 24% to reach 28,000. Other key markets, notably the United States and Germany, also registered double-digit increases with the US up 29% to 19,300 and Germany rising 36% to 18,800 guests. The figures follow a record-breaking 2017 when just shy of five million visitors stayed in Abu Dhabi city, Al Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra’s range of accommodation. UAE-based guests also increased in March to number 134,631, a rise from March 2017’s total of 130,125. The first quarter of this year has seen China maintain its position as leading international hotel guest supplier, with more than 127,000 Chinese staying in the emirate. Indian visitors have surged past 100,000 and showed a 30% increase. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Our progress in attracting more people to explore the emirate as a visitor destination.Our targeted marketing investment in key source markets is being rewarded with impressive double-digit growth as our global awareness grows and we develop into a ‘must visit’ destination built on unique experiences and rich cultural heritage”.

Held in Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al Saadiyat from April 8-12, CultureSummit brought together global leaders from the fields of arts, media, public policy and technology to discuss the role of culture in building bridges and promoting positive change in society. Steering Committee member HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “As the world’s first high-level summit of leaders across the arts, technology and policy, convening figures from every corner of the world is no small feat. It wouldn’t be possible without the support and global reach of Etihad Airways, which in this case truly lives up to its mission of ‘Bringing the world together.'” Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President – Commercial, Etihad Airways, said, “With the recent opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, in addition to a number of major events held throughout the year, Abu Dhabi is quickly establishing itself as a vibrant hub for the arts and culture. The CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018, which is set to welcome approximately 500 participants from 80 countries, is a unique opportunity to showcase Abu Dhabi to the world, and Etihad Airways is honoured to play a role in bringing the world together for this inspiring event.” The theme for CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018 is ‘Unexpected Collaborations: Forging New Connections Between Heritage and Innovation, Near and Far, Creativity and Purpose.’